All Bets Are Off
by SherwoodShippers
Summary: Frustrated at each other, Frank and Denise make a bet involving Army PT, household chores, and 8 sometimes unruly kids. Add to that an overflowing toilet, a renegade garbage disposal, and a broken vase, you have the recipe for disaster, a laughs. R/R.


**A/N: This story was born from the previews of New Orders and personal experiences. It's meant to be a humorous little piece just for a laugh, we hope you all enjoy it. Please let us know what you think. Any signed reviews will get a preview of our next one shot piece, Shadows.**

Denise came home from babysitting for the Moran, LeBlanc, and Burton children along with five other children from the Post. Their mother and fathers were all volunteering at a bereavement and transition workshop four weekends that month. This was the second one and she was dreading the other two. She'd chosen not to do it because her emotions and Frank's were still so raw over Jeremy's suicide attempt, but at least this way she was helping.

She walked into the house to find Frank watching Sports Center, his feet on the coffee table, a beer in his hand, pizza box on the sofa, trash can full, dishes dirty...

She groaned "You have to be kidding me, Frank," she said and sighed.

"Hey Baby," he said as if he didn't hear what she'd said. "Come here."

"Frank, this place is a mess! I have cleaned up after ten kids all day and I come home and have to clean all this up," she said.

"I'm sorry baby, I'm tired I spent the entire day on an overseas conference call, neck hurts from staring up at that screen," he whined, not really but to Denise it sounded like it.

"Oh poor baby, I've been with ten screaming kids all day!" she said and rolled her eyes.

"I'd like a little sympathy from my own wife, yeah," he said getting up for another beer, not offering her anything and sitting back down to watch TV.

She chuckled and sat down next to him "I'm sorry, I'm being hateful," she said. "How was the conference?"

"Long, boring, Michael actually fell asleep which was pretty funny," he said as she started to rub his back and neck for him. If it was really hard on him, she wanted to be supportive. "How's that?" she asked.

"Much better, I'm guessing babysitting didn't go well," he said laughing.

"It wasn't that bad, just noisy," she replied and continued to massage his neck.

"Well you can't let them just run around and stuff Dee," Frank advised. "You've got to do something constructive with them."

"Frank there was ten of them against one of me, I was a little outnumbered," she defended.

"Oh, I know, but planning and organization is what makes an effective campaign, Sweetheart," he informed her. "Numbers don't matter as much as you think they do. A little lower."

She made a face but he didn't see it. "Frank they're children, I don't know how organized you can be with them, especially when they aren't your own," she said.

"Well Jeremy turned out pretty good," he said offering encouragement."You are fantastic with kids; you're just letting the tail wag the dog a little bit there."

"Jeremy was one kid, not ten!" she said, he was frustrating her.

"One, ten, what's the difference? They're kids, Army kids, and most of them were babies, right?" he asked turning. "You're turn?"

"Yes, most of them were babies and that did not help matters at all," she said.

He put his hands on her shoulders and started rubbing, "Why are you so tight up here, Sweetheart?"

"Because I had to pull and tug at them all day," she said. "My back is breaking in half."

"This helping at all?" he asked rubbing the middle of her shoulder blades.

"Yeah, man I am getting old," she sighed.

"Now, now, it's not that, just part of being the fairer sex," he said then turned back to the game and started shouting at the TV about something.

She shot him a glare "Oh, whatever," she said. "You wouldn't last ten minutes babysitting all those kids"

"I think I would and I wouldn't be whining about it either, Dee, for crying out loud, I'm trying here, okay?" He was having a hard time figuring out why she was so mad.

"Okay, well tough guy, let's make a bet, I bet you can't last one day with those kids without whining or calling me to rescue you," she challenged.

"I bet you can't last through one day of PT without passing out, breaking something, or calling me to come get you," he countered.

"Okay, it's a bet and when I win you have to do everything I do around the house and wait on me hand and foot for a whole day," she said.

"And when I win you have to let me have that Army/Navy game party at the house, cook all the food, get all the beer, and clean up the mess and you can't complain about who I invite," he said with confidence.

She smiled smugly. "You're on," she said.

He leaned over and sealed their bet with a kiss. She waited, "So are you going to take down the trash or should I do it?"

She waited for an answer but he only yelled at the TV, she laughed and went to take down the trash.

The whole rest of that week was pretty tense around the Sherwood house; even Jeremy noticed that and brought it up to his dad at lunch the Friday before the big event. "Dad, you and Mom okay?"

"Yeah, she is just babied too much is all," he said.

"Babied too much?" Jeremy asked raising an eyebrow. "If there's babying going on I think I'm looking at the culprit."

"She came home the other night complaining because she had to baby sit a few kids and I told her to stop whining, anyway to make a long story short we have a bet going. I bet her she couldn't do PT without getting killed and she bet I couldn't take care of all those kids for a few hours."

"Dad, the kids thing, not as easy as it looks," Jeremy said the visibly cringed at his slip.

"Are you serious? It'll be a piece of cake," he said.

"I am serious, it won't be a piece of cake, go home now and beg her forgiveness,' Jeremy advised. "I watched the Murphy kids the other day for two hours, and Johnny is one of those kids that really needs to be on some kind of medication, and he's not. I know how you and Mom feel about all that but trust me; it'll feel like two years."

Frank was beginning to regret this but wasn't backing down. "It'll be fine," he said.

"We'll see," Jeremy sighed. "Good luck dad. By the way, when you lose this bet, what's mom going to get out of it?

"I have to wait on her hand and foot for the whole day," he replied as if it were nothing.

"Dad, don't look now but a lot of the time you do that anyway," Jeremy reminded him. "Good luck. Nice knowing you."

Frank glared at him and he left quickly.

Denise was home before Frank that night but he didn't smell dinner cooking or see any signs of her in the house at all.

Then he heard her in the bathroom and went to see what was up.

He saw her getting off her knees and wiping perspiration from her face while rinsing with mouthwash.

She was pale as a ghost and a little unsteady on her feet, she saw him through the mirror and rid her mouth of the mouthwash, "Hey," she said taking a deep breath.

"Hey, you're home early, I thought you were working until then," he said.

"Boss sent me home, I got sick," she said weakly.

"You don't look so good, Baby," he said holding her in his arms. "Let's get you into bed."

She nodded and he led her to the bed and she lay down. "I feel like crap, I can't stop throwing up," she said.

"Well just stay right here, I'll get a trash can for you and maybe try some ginger ale," he sighed. He hated seeing her sick.

"I tried that an hour ago, it didn't help," she sighed.

"Warm milk maybe then," he suggested. "That used to help you those few times you got sick early on when you were having Jeremy, maybe it still might," he offered.

"Maybe," she said weakly.

"I'll get some," he said and sighed. "She's never sick." He made the warm milk and brought it to her along with a small pile of crackers.

"Thanks," she said and offered him a small smile.

He sat with her while she sipped the drink and ate the crackers, after some rest and another round of the ginger ale, her color was coming back. He smiled, 'You look better."

"I'm feeling a little better too," she said. "I have no clue where that came from, I was fine last night."

"Maybe something you ate," he suggested. "If you don't feel up to doing the PT stuff, you don't have to do it; we can just forget it."

"No, a bet's a bet, I'll be okay," she assured him.

He nodded, "Tell me about the Murphy kids."

"Holy terrors," she said simply.

"Why would Jeremy be babysitting kids?" he asked curious.

"Because the girl he is crushing on babysits them," she said laughing a little.

"Jeremy's got a crush? On who? That what's her name from his therapy group that's always over here crying to me about something or other?" Frank asked.

"No, she has a crush on you," she said laughing. "I was talking about Emmalin."

"A crush on me?" Then his face went ghost white as it sunk in."Oh God, no he doesn't..."

She laughed harder. "Yes he does and I THINK she might like him too. Oh come on it's so obvious."

"Maybe but it's a disaster waiting to happen," Frank said getting off the bed and putting his shoes back on.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To shake some sense into my son," Frank said. "That's ridiculous."

"Frank don't, we don't know how far it will go, don't go humiliate him," she begged.

"We do know how far it will go, Dee! It was one thing when it was Amanda, but Emmalin, no," Frank said firmly starting to pace.

Denise stood up; she got a little dizzy but shook it off. "Frank, no, we don't, calm down honey," she said.

"Calm down, I'm not going to calm down, the kid's going to toss it all away on a girl, you don't just do that in the Army, you have to pick the right one, that's important," he said getting more and more worked up.

"Frank, she isn't just some girl. She is sweet, intelligent and absolutely beautiful," she said. "And if they do get together I for one don't see the problem."

"It's a huge problem, Dee!" Frank said still pacing like a caged tiger. "It was one thing when it was Amanda..."

"Frank, stop! Emmalin is a good girl! Why are you so upset?" she asked.

"That's why I'm upset, she's a good girl, she's still a baby, Dee," Frank sighed. "Jeremy's a man, he's been to war, he's had his troubles, she's still a baby."

"I was her age when you and I started dating, and I wasn't a baby," she reminded him.

He took her into his arms then, "No you weren't, but I didn't hold you in my arms when you an hour old either."

"Frank, she is a young woman and they're going to date or not date no matter what we say," she said.

He was calming down, "Can I tell him if he hurts her I'll tan his hide?" Frank asked her.

"We'll both tell him that," she said smiling.

"Tomorrow, you get some rest, you're going to have one heck of day, make sure you..." he stopped. "Get some rest."

"What?" she asked.

"Get some rest," he repeated. "Go on."

"No, you paused. You don't think I can do it, do you?" she asked.

"That's not it," Frank said. "I was about to start fussing at you that's all."

"About what?" she asked.

"Drinking water, stretching, using sunscreen, that kind of stuff," Frank said. "It's my own fault you're like you are."

"Like I am?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...nothing, forget it, just lie down and get some rest," Frank replied. "Go on."

"No, you were about to say something," she said. "Now tell me."

"Well that you're kind of...dependent and needy and stuff," Frank said. "I babied you and you got used to it."

Her mouth dropped to the floor. "Excuse me?" she said getting angry.

"It's true Dee," Frank said. "Since I became G 3 and I've been here a lot, I've been coddling you, and fussing at you about stuff..." He was digging a hole.

"You do not baby me!" she said defensively.

'Yeah I do," Frank said. "Look at what I just did sitting here with you, getting you milk, I never used to do all that stuff."

"Because I just spent the last three hours throwing my guts up Frank, you were getting something to keep me from being sick I do not call that babying!" she declared.

"When you were sick before I gave you a kiss and turned off the lights, remember, and you were a lot tougher then," Frank laughed.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, Frank," she said and left the room.

They didn't speak the rest of the night, she kept her back to him, didn't let him touch her, or kiss her or hold her even when she started crying. But he tried. She got sick a few more times through the night and when he tried to help her, she wouldn't have anything to do with him.

He tried again in the morning to get her to call off the bet but it didn't work, but she did kiss him, "I love you, Frank," she said from nowhere before she left. "Good luck today."

The first set of kids to be dropped off were the LeBlancs. TJ plopped himself down in front of the TV with a video game and Finn began looking down the drain in the kitchen sink.

Frank smiled, this wasn't so hard.

The Morans were next. Lucas threw a soccer ball at TJs head while Katie went to stand in front of the bathroom mirror.

Frank started to change his mind when TJ threw the soccer ball back and hit Lucas in the stomach with it

"Hey, whoa, boys, no ball in the house and no whipping them period, got it," he corrected.

They looked at him like he was insane and ran through the house.

He was about to take off after then when Roland arrived with Sarah Elizabeth. "She missed her nap this morning," he told Frank handing off the fidgety baby.

Frank took her and as soon as Roland left the house she started to scream at the top of her lungs

He cuddled her to his chest and went to chase after the TJ and Lucas again when Katie started crying.

He stopped dead in his tracks and went to see what was wrong

Rubbing the baby's back he did what he saw Denise do with Jeremy, and got down to Katie's level, "What's the matter, sweetie?" he asked the 10 year old girl, the one he expected the least trouble out of.

"I'm fat," she said tears streaming down her face. "I'm fat and I'm flat chested and Chelsea Bowen isn't. It isn't fair."

"Well, you're only ten," he offered as comfort. "You'll get what you're supposed to get when you're ready to get it. And you are not fat, you are as pretty as my Denise," he said smiling.

"No, I want to be skinny like the models in magazines," she said and started sobbing.

He put Sarah Elizabeth down on her bum and went to hug Katie, "Those aren't real people, those are computer images...They use the same software we do to create battle terrain," Frank explained. "Ask your Daddy."

"I'm ugly, I hate the way I look!" she pouted.

He was about to hug Katie tighter when Finn announced, "Colonel Sherwood, the baby crawled out the door."

Frank jumped up and chased after the baby.

She only got as far as the walkway but scraped both her knees, he lifted her up, she screamed. He carried her inside and she screamed. He cleaned off her knees and gave them Band-Aids and she screamed. He was about to scream when the door bell announced the arrival of the rest of his charges the 5 Murphy kids. There was 12 year old Johnny who's 8 year old sister Clara was taller and more mature than he was, 5 year old Tommy who still wasn't potty trained, and 3 month old twins Sky and Soledad that were allergic to pretty much everything.

As soon as he opened the door the children came running into the house screaming and throwing things.

Mrs. Murphy handed him the twins' carriers, "I fed them, I changed them, don't use powder on them, and change them in public."

He nodded and she left, he turned around and got hit in the shin by Tommy's toy dinosaur.

"Don't throw things around the babies," he told him. "Go sit in time out. Five minutes."

He gave him a pout then all of a sudden started to scream extremely loudly

This made the babies cry just as loudly, "Indoor voice," he told Tommy like he heard Denise do before.

This only made him scream louder and that made the babies scream louder.

Frank reached into his pocket and called Denise.

Denise was running the track when her phone rang, she seen it was Frank and smiled "Hey soldier, give up already?" She asked out of breath.

"No, no, just checking on my wife," he said sorry that he called her. "You didn't feel well."

"I'm fine," she lied, she was exhausted her legs hurt and she felt sick again "Frank what's with all the screaming"

"The Murphy kids," he replied. "Why do I have to change the twins in public?"

"I have no clue," she said. "She never told me that."

"Well she told me that," Frank sighed. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, fine," she lied.

"I love you," he said hanging up. Denise heard him say, "Finn, what are you doing with that wrench?"

She laughed and hung up the phone and went back to running.

Frank put the babies in their portable crib and they settled down, just about when TJ and Lucas ran through the house and out the door.

He went after them "Freeze!" he ordered.

They obeyed and fell in rank.

"Where do you two think you're going?" he asked.

"You said we can't play ball in the house," TJ said. "And we figured we better go outside before Mrs. Sherwood finds out we..." TJ said but Lucas hushed him.

"Before she finds out you what?" he asked sternly with his arms crosses over his chest.

"He did it," TJ said pointing at Lucas.

"Did what, boys? Somebody better start explaining," he said.

"We were in the bedroom and he threw the ball and that glass container thing on the wall fell and broke and we tried to fix it but if fell again and cracked the window," Lucas explained. "Our Moms will pay for it, we promise."

He sighed deeply; Denise's mother gave her that the Christmas before she died, she was going to be very upset no doubt "Okay, in the house both of you!" he ordered.

"But we want to play ball," Lucas said.

"No, in the house now," he said again leaving no room for arguments.

The obeyed that time, their parents set enough limits for them to understand how to take orders from their elders. "Yes, Sir," they both replied and did as they were told.

When they got inside Frank told them to sit and they did and he went to find something for them to do as punishment.

The master bathroom needed a good cleaning he decided and got out a bucket of water, soap and two toothbrushes. Sarah Elizabeth was screaming again and tugging on his pant leg, he picked her up and she butted his head with hers squirming. He sighed, "Come here boys."

The young boys obeyed and went to the bathroom

"Clean this thing top to bottom with those toothbrushes, come find me when you're done and you'll be writing letters to Mrs. Sherwood telling her you're sorry, that item you all broke meant a lot to her and it's going to make her very sad that it's been broken," he told them. "Actions have consequences, you think now you'll remember that?"

They both nodded and got to work.

With those two occupied he went to check on the oldest Murphy kids, the boy Johnny was having a meltdown over something that Frank didn't even have time to deal with before Katie Moran gently tapped him on the leg.

"Yes Katie," he said looking down at the soft spoken young girl.

"Your toilet is overflowing, Timmy flushed his pull up again," she told him. "I tried to stop him but he just bit me."

She had a bite mark on her arm complete with teeth marks.

"Okay, watch Sara Elizabeth," he said and went to deal with the bathroom situation.

"What are you doing?" he asked the unruly five year old. "You are old enough to use the potty like a big boy."

"No!" the child screamed.

"Look at this mess here," Frank said. "Come with me." He tried to take the boy by the hand.

Timmy jerked away "No!" he screamed again.

Frank bent and lifted him over his shoulder like potato sack and carried him the gutted shell of a room that used to be Jeremy's before Denise started redecorating it. There was nothing in there but four walls and rug. "Now sit in here and think about what you did," he told him firmly then shut the door and secured it with a chair.

The boy started screaming and hitting the walls with his fists. Frank walked away to clean up the bathroom but the twins started fussing. He groaned and went and picked them up.

They were likely hungry and had filled their diapers, he ignored their mother's public request and decided their brother and sister could suffice. He made bottles of the food given and called the older Murphys over, "Feed the babies, I'll be right back."

They nodded and fed the twins.

Frank ran back to finish cleaning the flood and let Timmy out of time out when Finn started screaming, he hadn't heard a peep out of him all day.

Frank rushed to see what is damage was this time.

"It ate them," he told Frank starting down the sink.

"Ate what buddy?" he asked.

"My glasses," he told him. "I was looking for bugs."

"Bugs?" Frank asked confused. "Okay, let me see if I can get them back."

"Can you see without them at all?" he asked Finn. Then he heard Katie screech, "Don't hold the baby like that!"

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath then went to the living room.

Johnny was holding his sister down by her ears shoving the bottle in her face

"Johnny no!" Frank yelled and ran to get the baby.

He got what he wanted, someone else to do his chore. He went back to his video game, but Frank wasn't having that one. "Let's have the game."

"No," the boy said.

"Stand up when I'm talking to you," he said firmly. "Let's go."

"No!"T he boy screamed like his younger brother had done.

Frank had enough of this, "Katie, can you come here please?"

Katie came to him right away. "Yes Colonel Sherwood?" she said politely.

"Please take this little bit back to her sister and finish feeding her," he said carefully handing her the baby.

She nodded and took the baby while Frank bent down and took the game Johnny's hand.

"Hey, you can't do that old man!" Johnny snapped.

"I just did," Frank replied. "This is mine until your mother gets back. "You walk to the back bathroom, get a mop and clean up the mess your brother made. Go now!"

"You're not my boss!" he said crossing his arms.

"Get up, and do as I said, now, guess what kid, this is my house, and I'm in charge here, now get going or you won't see this game again," Frank said firmly. "And I can do it!"

The boy looked at him evil then went to do as he was told.

He took a deep breath and went to finish fishing Finn's glass out of the garbage disposal.

After an hour of trying he finally got them out and with some modeling glue and a little luck he was able to get them to fit on the kid's face until finally the parent's started arriving.

Pamela was first, "All right, Lucas, remember our deal?" he asked. "Tell your mom what happened."

"I broke a glass vase that belonged to Mrs. Sherwood," he admitted.

"Lucas," Pamela said. "Frank, I'm sorry. We'll pay you for it."

"It's all right, good man for admitting you did something wrong, "he praised.

"Still, he has to be punished," Pamela told him.

"Oh he was, tell your mom what you had to do," Frank prompted.

"I had to clean the bathroom with a toothbrush with TJ because he did it too, and write Mrs. Sherwood a note," Lucas said. "I hope it doesn't make her cry or anything, she did that like five times yesterday."

"Do you know why?" Frank asked, that worried him.

"Nope," Lucas replied. "Once was because of something Jeremy did, once because of the mayonnaise, and I don't know about the other times."

Katie piped up, "Once because the button popped on her blouse."

"Okay, thank you," he said smiling at the children. "You and Roxy had the best kids out of the whole bunch."

"Compared to the Murphy kids," Pamela laughed. "Nice complement Frank."

As she was about to leave her caught her arm, "Pamela, about Katie, she was a huge help today, but you might want to talk to her about..." He turned red.

"Oh lord she got you too," she said laughing. "Sorry."

"No, it's not that, I don't mind but she's really concerned with how she looks and that's not always good and I wanted to make sure you knew about it," Frank said. "Anytime you need a sitter, give a yell."

"Thanks Frank," she said smiling and left to go home.

Ms. Murphy was next, "How were they?" she asked as Frank loaded up twins diaper bags. "That's a long story."

"I'm sorry, they're usually very well behaved," she said.

"If you call a 12 year old having a tantrum over a video game he lost because he held his sister by her face and a five year that floods a bathroom and throws things well behaved, lady, your compass is way wrong," Frank said plainly. "If this chaos is a staple in your house, I'm going to end up talking to your husband's CO..." He waited. "Actually, I am your husband's CO, it's Ben Murphy right?"

"Yes sir," she said.

"Thank you," Frank replied. "I think I'll hold onto the game boy until I sit down with Ben. Clara and the little ones were angels."

She nodded and left the house quickly, clearly embarrassed.

Roxy was next, "I'm sorry I'm late," she said. "What happened to Finn's glasses?"

"He and the garbage disposal had a fight and the disposal won," Frank replied trying not to laugh.

Roxy cracked up, "Looking for water bugs again? You got them out?"

"Yeah, I figured he needed them, "he said.

"Thanks," Roxy said. "TJ why are you wet?"

"I had to scrub the bathroom floor because I broke a vase that was special to Mrs. Sherwood," he said. "I will pay for it Colonel Sherwood."

"You already did but it might be nice if you apologized to Mrs. Sherwood, she's coming right now," he said smiling at Denise who was tired, sweaty, sunburned, but remarkably intact.

"Hey everyone," she said smiling. "TJ what happened?" she asked taking in his appearance.

"Lucas and I didn't listen and played ball inside. We broke that purple vase in your room and Colonel Sherwood made us clean the bathroom," he said. "I'm sorry, we should have listened."

She smiled at the boy. "It's alright but thank you for apologizing to me," she said gently.

Roxy smiled at Frank, "That one's a keeper; anyone who'd fish a kid's glasses out of a garbage disposal is a pretty good guy. Get some rest, Denise you look awful."

"Thanks Roxy," she said laughing.

"Did the really break that vase?" she asked starting to choke up a little. "Why is Sara Elizabeth still here?"

"Joan hasn't been to pick her up yet," he said then noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Come here, baby," Frank said. "Then check on her knees, I think I got the cleaned up right."

"I'm okay," she said and fought back her tears then went to check on the baby's knees. "What happened?"

"Forgot to shut the door and while I was trying to convince Katie Moran she would one day grow breasts and was not fat, she crawled out the door," Frank said laughing a little.

"Sounds like you had a good day," she said wiping her eyes.

"It wasn't bad," he said and smiled as Sarah Elizabeth reached her arms up for him.

He picked her up and she giggled.

He sat down with her and Denise collapsed next to him, "What's on your arm, Dee?"

"Just a bandage, it's nothing," she said.

"You fall?" he asked her.

The baby was nodding off.

"Yeah but it was nothing, I'm fine," she said.

The doorbell rang then announcing Joan's arrival, first thing she said was, "Feeling better, Denise?" before greeting her baby girl.

Denise cringed; she'd have to answer to Frank later. "Yeah, thanks," she said smiling.

"All right, remember to drink that electrolyte water I gave you, and rehydrate," she advised. "You should not be out running in this heat when you aren't trained for it in your condition, you know better being a nurse," Joan scolded. "Well, we're off...What happened to her knees?"

"She is too fast for this old man," Frank said smiling. "Crawled out the door before I could get to her."

"Does that to Roland all the time," Joan laughed. "Thanks a lot. Keep an eye on her," she said nodding to Denise and then leaving the Sherwood house in relative calm.

Denise got up and left the room quickly before the questions could start.

Frank followed her though; he'd heard too many disturbing things. "What condition, Dee? You sick?"

"No Frank, I'm fine," she said.

"What was Joan talking about then?" he asked. "And if it was too much just admit it and forget about the bet, there is no way I could do this every day and no way I'd have survived without Katie Moran."

She laughed. "Okay, I admit it, I passed out. That was hard work."

"It is hard work but you shouldn't have passed out Dee, not if you're in shape and you are, so what gives? Joan said condition and condition implies there's something wrong," Frank said. "Now what is it?"

She sighed "okay there is something," she said. "promise not to get mad"

"Mad's gone, baby, I'm working on frightened, but whatever it is, we're in it together," he said trying to brace himself for words like disease, cancer, terminal, and other stuff like that.

"I'm...I'm...pregnant," she finally said and watched his face.

"Denise," he said with a hint of warning. "Tell me baby; please don't make a joke out of this."

"Frank, I'm serious. I'm pregnant," she said. "I saw Dr. Lange today, we're having a baby. I'm pregnant."

"Preg..." he managed right before he passed out. Denise just laughed at him before kneeling down next to him and waiting for his body to adjust to the shock. She'd had a shock as well with this news, but she was at ease because Frank was right, they were in it together, no matter what.


End file.
